Municipal authorities in Árborg are requesting comments on a suggestion for the Selfoss city plan that the Catholic Church in Iceland be permitted to erect a church, a congregation hall and a rectory.
The new church buildings are set to rise is in southwest Selfoss, in a plot allocated last year after much deliberation. The blueprints for the buildings are ready, and the buildings are expected to cover 1500 m2 of land and rise no higher than 12,6 m (41.3 ft). The suggestion notes that constructors expect an insignificant increase in traffic to the area but church bells can be expected to ring on holy days. The suggestion also notes that the municipality’s former plans for building a school and kindergarten in the area would have affected the environment much more, especially traffic and noise levels.
According to data from Statistics Iceland, 14,658 people belong to the Catholic Church of Iceland. Its congregation has grown in the past few years, up from only 3,200 in 1998.
